Osprey's Big Reveal: Weapon

To navigate your way through the Big Reveal please use the links in the bar above.

Our Weapon series has a great new selection of books publishing in 2022. Read the options below and let us know which one you're most looking forward to in the comments!

WPN: Sniping Rifles in World War I

Although military sharpshooting had existed since the 18th century, in 1914 only the German and Austro-Hungarian armies fielded trained snipers armed with scoped rifles. Thus upon the outbreak of World War I, the Allied armies found themselves on the receiving end of a shooting war that they did not comprehend, and to which they had no means of response.

The sniping rifles that were used and developed in the trenches continued in more-or-less unaltered form in the armies of Britain and the Commonwealth, Germany and the United States until well beyond the end of World War I. Featuring full-colour artwork, carefully chosen archive images and photographs of the sniping rifles and accessories used in the trenches, this is the inside story of the rifles carried by snipers of all the major powers during World War I.

WPN: Soviet Machine Guns of World War II

Fully illustrated, this study explains the technology and the tactics of the three machine guns that dominated the Red Army’s front-line infantry firepower – the DShK 1938 heavy machine gun, the PM M1910 medium/heavy machine gun and the Degtyaryov DP-27, a lighter, bipod-mounted support weapon. Noted authority Chris McNab sets out how these machine guns were distributed and tactically applied and provides numerous examples of the weapons in action, from assault teams on the streets of Stalingrad to tank crews struggling for survival at Kursk. The book also reflects upon the weapons’ post-war service; many of the machine guns remain in front-line use today. Illustrated with high-quality photographs and specially commissioned artwork, this is a deep analysis of these essential tools of warfare within the Soviet forces.

WPN: Soviet Pistols

In 1930 the TT, a single-action semi-automatic pistol developed by Fedor Vasilyevich Tokarev and firing 7.62×25mm ammunition from an eight-round box magazine, began to supplement the venerable seven-shot Nagant M1895 revolver in Soviet military service. From 1933 the TT-33, a simplified version, was issued alongside the TT and the M1895; all three would equip Soviet and proxy forces throughout and after World War II, seeing action across the globe from China to South America.

In December 1945, a requirement for a new Soviet service pistol resulted in the testing of various prototypes, the winner being the design submitted by Nikolay Fyodorovich Makarov. Designated the PM, it became the primary Soviet military and police sidearm during the Cold War era and continued in use with some military and police units well into the 21st century. The PM was quickly joined by the Stechkin machine pistol, issued to special forces and other specialists from 1951. Other specialized versions of the Makarov were developed, including the PB suppressed version for use by Spetsnaz troops, the 5.45×18mm PSM, a more compact version, and the PMM, a version that allowed the use of a higher-capacity magazine and more ergonomic grips.

Featuring archive and present-day photography and specially commissioned artwork, this is the absorbing story of the pistols that armed the forces of the Soviet Union and its allies during and after World War II.

WPN: Walther Pistols

The innovative Walther PP (Polizeipistole), a double-action semi-automatic pistol intended for the law-enforcement market, became available in 1929 and went on to arm the police of several European countries in the 1930s. Its smaller cousin the PPK, more readily concealed for undercover work but with reduced magazine capacity, was produced from 1931. Intended to replace the P 08 Luger, the Walther P 38 was issued from 1940 and equipped the armed forces of Germany and other countries during and after World War II, but never entirely replaced the Luger in German service. All three pistols went on to have lengthy and varied service across the world after 1945. Both the PP and the PPK remain in production today, while the P 38 re-emerged as the P1 and equipped West German forces from 1963 until 2004, when it was replaced by the P8. In this study, noted authority John Walter assesses the origins, development, use and legacy of these three high-profile semi-automatic pistols, alongside other Walther variants, such as the tiny .25 ACP Modell 9.